Song structure is one of songwriting’s key elements or building blocks. As songwriters, we casually throw common structuring language around all the time—“Let’s double a chorus here. Why don’t we go to the bridge there?” But how often (if ever) do we really stop to think, beginner or advanced writer alike, about the nut-and-bolt concepts behind the everyday rudiments of our trade?

• The bridge (aka “the middle eight”) of a song is a unique section of a tune that has its own musical and often lyrical motif that’s totally different from the song’s other main sections.

• A bridge, many times, consists of an underlying chord progression and a sung, top-line melody.

• Other times, a bridge may be totally instrumental in nature with no vocals in play. That said, an instrumental bridge is different than a solo or instrumental section of a tune in that it is often times more structured and less improvisational in nature.

• A bridge is usually introduced toward the middle of a tune and is designed to offer a sort of sonic cleansing of the pallet, allowing the listener a break from the repetition of your verse and chorus sections of the song.

• The bridge offers something different, refreshes the ear, and as a result, the listener is ready to hear your song’s verse and/or chorus once again.